Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeats Joe Crowley in shocking primary

In one of the biggest political upsets this year, activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has defeated incumbent Joseph Crowley in the primary for the 14th Congressional District.

Ocasio-Cortez held on for a 15 percent lead over Crowley, the chair of the Queens County Democratic Party and the House Democratic Caucus, winning 57.5 percent to 42.5 percent.

Crowley lost his bid for re-election and is the first Democratic congressperson to lose re-election in a primary since Congressman Stephen Solarz in 1992. Crowley didn’t face a primary in 14 years and was believed to follow in the footsteps of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old Democratic socialist from the Bronx, believed this year was the right time to run considering the “blue wave” of Democratic turnout sweeping the country.

“If we elect the same Democratic Party that we did going into this mess, we’re going to get the same results,” she said to the LIC/Astoria Journal. “We have to translate these movements into electoral wins to push the right policies.”

After her victory, she sent a loud message to her 105,500 followers on Twitter and 38,000 followers on Facebook. By the way, the number of her followers have been growing substantially since her win.

We triggered the first primary election in 14 years. OUR supporters, collecting signatures in the bitter snow for 5 weeks, did that.

No matter who the vote is for, every single vote cast to day is ours – because we made this election happen.